Book Review
Neil Jordan: Exploring Boundaries by Emer & Kevin Rockett, Liffey Press

Neil Jordan: Exploring Boundaries provides a convenient starting-point for anyone intending to write about Jordan's work, the history of Irish film, or cinematic representations of this, that and the 'other'. The book provides a chapter-length synopsis-cum-analysis of each of Jordan's features as director, while two additional chapters cover his early career and production and exhibition contexts of his films. The reference section contains a full Jordan filmography and bibliography, a comprehensive general bibliography, an index of the National Library's Neil Jordan papers and a list of selected television appearances. These references will prove invaluable for anyone wishing to undertake further research. In addition to his films, the Rocketts discuss much of Jordan's published fiction, his play White Horses, his shorter films (including Not I) and his screenplay for Joe Comerford's Traveller.

The bulk of the book is taken up with examinations of the individual films. The Rocketts generally fuse a synopsis of the film's plot with a combination of original and reported analyses. The result is somewhat like a guided tour, or director's commentary, which generally progresses in a linear fashion, but bristles with asides, digressions and explanations. Among other things, the Rocketts note similarities between Jordan's films and his books, connections between the films' stories and topical events, allusions to other films and previous filmic treatments of similar subjects. The tired old issues of race, gender, identity et al are omnipresent. The final chapter deals with production and exhibition, and is arguably the most interesting in the book. Here the Rocketts look at the financing, negotiations, distribution and critical reception which (unfortunately) play such a big part in the modern film industry. Among the subjects covered are the rise and fall of Palace Pictures, the Hollywoodisation of High Spirits, and the 'fake-ending' Jordan was forced to shoot for The Crying Game.

One of the main problems with Exploring Boundaries is the Rocketts' tendency to treat the films Jordan directed as though they were the personal expressions of a single artist. It seems unfair, in a book which deals primarily with narrative elements of Jordan's films (rather than as his work as a director) that his fellow screenwriters get such short shrift. Angela Carter, Anne Rice and Pat McCabe get some attention, but mostly for the purposes of comparing their original works to the screen versions; David Leland, co-writer of Mona Lisa is mentioned only to be rejected; David Mamet, sole screenwriter on We're No Angels, is sidelined; while Bruce Robinson, who raised Hell when Jordan re-wrote his screenplay for In Dreams, is completely ignored. While it is convenient for the purposes of marketing to ascribe authorship of a film to the director, what you see on the screen is, in reality, the work of hundreds of skilled professionals, and first among them, particularly when discussing the story, is the screenwriter.

While Exploring Boundaries is clearly intended as a scholarly tool, it contains a number of errors which, while trivial in themselves, cast a shadow over its credibility as a whole: In Interview with the Vampire, the ghastly cover version of Sympathy for the Devil is attributed to the Stone Roses, rather than Guns 'n' Roses, Gilbert and Sullivan's 1887 opera Ruddigore is cited (and indexed) as Ruggidore, Jimmy Stewart's character Scottie in Vertigo is re-christened 'Johnny', while Robert Wise's film The Haunting is confused with its source novel The Haunting of Hill House.

Despite having achieved the critical success which results in a book like this one, many of Neil Jordan's films are still difficult to obtain. Some titles are now available on DVD or video, some can only be obtained by mail order. If you want a copy of The Miracle or High Spirits you'll have to steal one from your local Xtra-Vision. In the end, despite the professional job the Rocketts have done, it is the primary and secondary material which matters most. They lead the way by providing a list of the interviews, articles and Jordan's early drafts which are available for the willing scholar to consult. In the end, the best way to engage with Jordan's films is to watch them, enjoy them and develop your own opinions.

Lir Mac Cárthaigh

This review is reprinted to provide context for a letter of complaint from the authors. You can read it here.

Related links:
Interview with Bruce Robinson in which he discusses the changes to In Dreams: www.brucerobinson.org (articles section).